Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-04
TEXAS LAND LAWS.


,essity for the repeal of the lease law in
the interest of the settlement of the IN
occupied territory of the state.
The lease law was the conception OF
men who desired to perpetuate control |
OF ranch lands. The law prevented
the purchase of lands in large
bodies, settlers were pushing
ranchmen toward the setting sun,
large capital had been attracted to the
business Of cattle raising, and the alter
native was 6 permanent control of the
ranch lands or surrender to the man
with the hoe. East Texas was persuaded
that it could school its children with
lease money paid by "bullionaires" who
were growing rich on free grass, and
lease law was enacted that left the lands
open to the actual settler.
This Law was sf.ilure, because 1t was
a fraud, since no lease can be honest
which is not absolute for the term of its
life. The next step was to perfect the
law, by providing for absolute leases,
which was done under o fusilade of paper
pellets against "the bUllicnaires'' who
mad used lands free IN defiance
of the fraudulent lease law
they had themselves concocsed.
And now we have 8 lease Law
that leaves agricultural" lands open to
the settler and the "pasture'' lands sbso-
lutely to the lessee for the term of his
lease; and the classification" deter
mines the grade. This legislative hybrid
is supplemented by an insufficient
method of acquiring lands that are open
to settlement, and what with the popular
fear of the dreaded cowboy
within leased lands inclosed by a
wire fence and the bunglesome method OF
acquiring information and title, settlement
makes slow progress, compared to the
crush" that would follow wise and gen
erous land policy similar to that Of the
general government, and to that which
obtained in Texas prior to the introduc-
mess.
These alien and native "bullionaires"
have so blinded the people that every az
gument against the lease law is met by
prejudice and selfishness; but THE Ga
zETTE On Friday printed testimony which
none may say Is an emanation Of the "bul-
~ 10 nrS
Worth and Denver can be interested only
in the settlement of the country; the sub
stitution of farms and people for
cattle ranches and calves means
profit to his road, and this
is his testimony, and The GAZETTE
asks every man who desires land policy
that will settle the west, create market
for East Texas lumber and increase the
taxable values Of the state, to read and
ponder the evidence of man who cannot
possibly be accused Of working in the in
terest of the "bullionaires:"
The Panhandle is not settling as fast as it
ought to, nor as fast as people would ike to
settle 1t. The fact is that your state laws are
defective in the most important particular
people coming in or desiring to come in do not
know and cannot ascertain with that degree OF
certainty necessary TO inspire confidence, the
necessary information relative to land titles
There sre thousands OF acres of land in the
Panhandle, ann there are thousands of families
that want to enter upon them and build homes
bat no one knows where to settle and no one
can find out anything about title. I have re-
| ceIved numbers of letters from parties who de-
sire to locate In that territory, or who have
| been over the ground and desire tc
purchase homes, asking me about the
title to the lands. They do not care what the
| price is or how long g time they will have tC
| pay for th EN-; they want something certain and
| permanent. AS it Is, there are lands that may
| be classed as agricultural, or may not. 1t de-
ponds on the agent. For my part am at loss
| % know jus. where in the Panhandle to find
lands that are not suited for agricultural pur
posea. Agricultural lands, as 1 understand
them, are those that may be plowed up, TILED
and upon which crops may be raised. If there
is any other sort OF land In the Panhandle my
observations have failed to reveal them to me
The fact is that all, or nearly all, land:
| In the Panhandle are good agricultural
| LANDS, and nothing else can be made ou
of them. That is how / estimate them, and tina
| is how those who go there for the purpose o.
| investigation regard them. What we want II
something Notwithstanding certaiD IN re
gard to classification and title. People are de
tered from settling on public lands as long al
the title is subject to the possibly vaciliatint
Judgment of any man. OF course, theoretical!
the actual settler Is given precedence over thu
stockman, but practically the leading system Il
an insurmountable barrier to bona fde settle
ment. l believe that Land Commission Hall Il
an able, conscien tious eficer who has TIT
interest of the state at heart, ant
who Is really anxious to carry out thu
policy of the state, in settling ant
developing the west, but the uncertainty ant
viciousness o: the land system prevents him
from accomplishing his desires. Cattlemel
naturally desire to retard settlemen as II Is t.
their interest to do so, and cattlenen rule II
that section. If the state officials aDtagoniz
these gentlemen or this interest, they vii
| suffer from their enmity. / am anxious and
though perplexed at times, hopeful that TIT
state will soon sseher own interests in cles
light, and forever put quletus on land clsssi
feation and land titles in the west. Hundre d
of families go 10 there for the purpose of set
| thing, but conclude that New Mexico is safe
place On account of the land law.
TEXAS In TYPE.